This invention relates generally to a conveyor and shoe lifting assembly for tractor tracks of the type having a chain with a plurality of ground engaging shoes.
Crawler or track lying tractors are widely used particularly for heavy duty work. The tracks employed in such tractors include ground engaging shoes or grousers removably secured to a drive chain driven over an idler sprocket by means of a driven sprocket. The drive chain includes a plurality of sections, each adapted to receive a shoe. Each section includes a pair of side links spaced apart to receive the sprocket wheel teeth. Each section is pivotally joined to the next adjacent section by means of a cross pin and bushing. The side links of each section are relatively widely spaced at one end to receive the relatively closely spaced ends of the next side link. Bushings are press fit into the closely spaced ends, while pins are press fit into the widely spaced ends of each pair to form a pivotal joint between sections.
Because of the nature and operation of tractors, the tracks are subjected to rapid wear and require frequent repair. Generally, for repair, the track is removed from the tractor by removal of a master pin and the track is laid out. The chain is then moved onto a conveyor and then moved to present the links in sequence to a track press which may be of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,075,346. Hydraulic rams move space pins and bushing tools mounted on a tool bar into cooperative relationship with the pins and bushing to remove the pins and bushings from the links to release the side links for disassembly. During reassembly, the chain is moved in the opposite direction and pins and bushings are inserted.
When operating on larger tracks, the grousers or shoes are removed from the chain prior to presentation of the chain to the track press. The shoes or grousers are removed by removing the bolts which secure the shoes to the links of the chain. A power operated wrench of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,108,507 can be employed for the purpose of removing the bolts during disassembly and for applying the bolts during reassembly of the track. In smaller tracks, the operator can during disassembly manually lift the shoes of the chain and place them on the ground adjacent the associated conveyor and lift the shoes and place them on the chain during re-assembly after the pins and bushings have been removed and replaced.
As tractors and tracks have increased in size, it has been necessary to employ power mechanisms of various types to individually remove and replace the shoes during disassembly and assembly operations. The apparatus presently employed is not designed for the purpose and is expensive and inefficient.